- Image by Dan_H via Flickr
The day may be coming when your wallet will be feeling heavier than other things you lug around. Technological advances in the manufacturing of laptop computers means that the newest models are lighter than ever and easy to carry. The new units are also more powerful than ever before and can go much longer between charging.
One of the most talked about new ultra portable notebook computers comes from Toshiba and is the Portege R705. It weighs in at just over 3 pounds and is just over 13 inches wide. It can be configured in a number of different ways and you can get one that is nicely loaded for under $1000.
These notebooks are powered by either the Intel i3 or i5 processor which offer excellent performance for a unit so small. The six cell lithium battery offers 8 hours of continuous use before it has to be charged. It has an excellent webcam built into the unit and a DVD Super Multi Burner.
Apple has also come out with new super small notebooks. They have 11 inch and 13 inch versions of the MacBook Air now for sale, which offer great portability. These units weigh in at less than 3 pounds. To accommodate the small design you give up an Ethernet socket and internal optical drive, but you do get 7 hours of battery life.
One of the biggest advantages of the MacBook Air is how quickly the machine boots up and is ready for use. It can load and put you on the Snow Leopard operating system desktop in a matter of seconds. It is loaded with iChat, iTunes and iMovie software as well as a number of other popular Apple programs that make this notebook even more desirable. This notebook is on the high end of units price wise though, and will sell for between $1299 and $1599 depending on how it is configured.
